Hidden Flame: Bound to the Triplet Dragon Kings

**Avery** I offered Cassius a quick smile before I turned back to a stunned Draven. "Come!" I commanded. Robotically he walked to us as we were standing beside Cassius's car. I wonder why I have this effect on him. Regina spoke in my mind, "I think one of our tribe members is in him. But I will say that using my big girl voice feels really good." I giggle inside because it does feel good to not cower. In fact, it feels damn good.

In addition to my newfound confidence, I feel something else, this dark fire that begins to spark and burn. As the heat rises so does my anger. My mates surround Draven, preventing his escape. Could he use magic? Yes, but that requires chanting and his coven based on the ritual I had witnessed. "You took something you had no right to," I growled. "What are you talking about? Who are you people?" Draven asks.

Cassius takes a step closer to Draven. His glare intensifies, "You know exactly who we are." His head turned tobefore he looked back to Draven, "Now meet our queen." To pull him close to me, I reached for Draven but in doing so I caught a whiff of sfamiliar scents. At first, I thought that it was just perfso I took another whiff. My nose crinkled as I spat, "The Hoity Hags! He reeks of them." To my surprise, Conner grabbed Draven by his throat and lifted him in the air. "Tell us what you had those bitches do and our dragons may not eat you." My, oh my! It appears that my Mr. Darcy has quite a temper and I love it. Eyes brimming with a mix of love, desire, and pride, I rise up to my tiptoes and kiss his cheek. Then I put my hand on his outstretched arm, "Let him speak while I decide his fate." Conner opened his fist and allowed Draven to crash to the ground. Before he could stand, I walked over to him and put my hand roughly on his shoulder. He cringed under my grasp, and he should because Regina was lendingher strength. On the hand gripping Draven's shoulder, my nails turned into her gold and silver talons as my hand becadorned with her iridescent and blue scales.

Draven trembled as he saw my hand and looked into my eyes. "You're...you're her." "I am The Mother!" as I exclaimed my title, I used my human hand to yank his head back by pulling on his hair. My mouth opened, expelling a purplish-blue flinto Draven's now gaping mouth. The dragon that was inside him emerged. It looked atbefore it bowed. When that dragon looked into my eyes, I felt a connection. I had met it before, but where? When? The once caged black dragon with bits of golden scales under his black ones stood. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but I felt his presence in my mind and soul. It was such an odd sensation as if part ofrecognized itself, but I don't remember him nor do I recognize him. Perhaps the connection exists from another life. He looked up at the clouds before he looked at me. I just knew that he was asking to return to his plane of waiting. He wants his person and I won't deny him that, so I nod and say, "Go Adrik until we meet again." As he took flight, I realized that he never toldhis name. How did I know it? I don't have tto ponder that because Draven's shocked scream broughtback to my reality. Now it is tto get answers. How does he know The Hags? What, if anything, did he have them do? I brought up the finger on my free hand and turned it into a talon. "Telleverything or die now," I say as I run the talon on Draven's cheek causing a thin line of blood.

He was going to lie or perhaps outright defy me, but his pupils dilated as he felt his blood begin to leak down his cheek. He puts his palms on his thighs and bows his head before he looks up at me. "I wanted my mate and out of this hell. To escape, I needed a dragon. A dragon that I could control, so I walked the boundary a lot. Over the past month or two, I was drawn to the boundary of your territory. While there trying to recharge after yet another failed attempt to summon a dragon, I met a group of girls. They were easy to convince to step into my territory. Even easier to seduce too. A redhead named Lenore toldthat she had a girl who she wanted to teach a lesson to. I assumed it was a dragon girl, so I gave her a blade in exchange for help. All they had to do was put tarragon in the water supply and it would weaken many. In

their weakened state, their dragon would have gone to Tiamat for her to either kill their human on restore the nowbroke or human nowbroken bond. Those bitches didn't fulfill their end of the bargain. I know that they didn't because only one dragon was there and I couldn't get him to do anything."

I snarl, "Because he wasn't yours! He is one of mine! Those that are mine choose He didn't choose you." I look at The Trio. "Had you had the balls to kill The Hags, those farmers would have never been at risk not to mention the entire tribe! You are nearly as responsible as he is!" I throw my head back as flshoots into the sky. I am so angry right now.

I took in a breath as I cracked my neck and rolled my shoulders. This isn'tand don't think it is Regina either. Draven needs to know what his greed caused. I point my talon at his third eye chakra as I press slightly. Just as his blood met its tip I projected a vision of what The Hags did tothat night deep within the bowels of my school. I wanted him to fee